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About NUI Galway

Since 1845, NUI Galway has been sharing the highest quality teaching and research with Ireland and the world. Find out what makes our University so special – from our distinguished history to the latest news and campus developments.

News archive

NUI Galway Exhibition to Mark GAA 125 Celebrations

Monday, 9 November 2009

(Leagan Gaeilge) To mark the 125th anniversary of the GAA, the James Hardiman Library at NUI Galway will stage an exhibition that focuses on the University's involvement in GAA sports from the early twentieth century through to modern times. The exhibition opening will coincide with the official launch of the GAA commissioned book "The GAA: A People's History" in the Bailey Allen Hall, NUI Galway on Wednesday, 11 November by GAA President, Criostóir Ó Cuana.
The exhibition will include a range of photographs of University football, hurling and camogie teams. The photographs include those of trophy winning teams in Sigerson, Fitzgibbon and Ashbourne Cup tournaments.
The NUI Galway library holds the archive of Michael Cusack, the founder of the GAA, and selections from this important collection will feature in the exhibition.
The James Hardiman Library also provides digital access to around 2000 images taken by American collector George Pickow during his visit to Ireland in 1952-53. Images of GAA games from the Ritchie-Pickow archive will be on display.
John Cox, University Librarian at NUI Galway, commented: "We are very excited to present this exhibition, highlighting as it does some of the University's rich archival material. We are also very grateful to current students and graduates of NUI Galway who have kindly donated memorabilia for display from their playing days".
The GAA exhibition will be staged in the foyer of the James Hardiman Library from 12 November until 18 December. The library exhibition will be open to the public until 10pm weekdays and until 5.30pm at weekends.
Taispeántas OÉ Gaillimh ag Ceiliúradh 125 Bliain ó bunaíodh CLG
(View in English) Mar chomóradh ar 125 bliain a bheith caite ó bunaíodh CLG, beidh taispeántas i Leabharlann Shéamais Uí Argadáin ina ndíreofar ar an mbaint a bhí ag an Ollscoil le spóirt CLG ó thús an fichiú haois i leith. Osclóidh an taispeántas nuair a sheolfaidh Uachtarán CLG, Criostóir Ó Cuana, an leabhar The GAA: A People's History, ar choimisiúnaigh CLG é, go hoifigiúil i Halla Bailey Allen, OÉ Gaillimh Dé Céadaoin, an 11 Samhain..
Beidh réimse grianghraf sa taispeántas d'fhoirne peile, iomána agus camógaíochta na hOllscoile. I measc na ngrianghraf sin tá grianghraif d'fhoirne buacacha thurnaimintí Chorn Sigerson, Chorn Fitzgibbon agus Chorn Ashbourne.
Tá cartlann Mhichíl Uí Chíosóig, bunaitheoir CLG, i leabharlann OÉ Gaillimh, agus beidh samplaí a roghnaíodh as an gcartlann thábhachtach seo sa taispeántas.
Tá fáil go digiteach i Leabharlann Shéamais Uí Argadáin chomh maith ar thart ar 2000 íomhá a thóg an bailitheoir Meiriceánach George Pickow le linn a chuairte ar Éirinn i 1952-53. Beidh íomhánna ó chluichí CLG ó chartlann Ritchie-Pickow sa taispeántas chomh maith.
Bhí an méid seo a leanas le rá ag John Cox, Leabharlannaí na hOllscoile in OÉ Gaillimh: "Táimid an-tógtha leis an taispeántas seo. Tarraingeoidh sé aird ar an sárábhar cartlainne atá san Ollscoil. Táimid buíoch chomh maith de na mic léinn reatha agus de chéimithe OÉ Gaillimh a thug cuimhneacháin óna dtréimhse imeartha féin dúinn".
Beidh an taispeántas ar bun i bhforhalla Leabharlann Shéamais Uí Argadáin ón 12 Samhain go dtí an 18 Nollaig. Beidh cead isteach ag an bpobal ag an taispeántas sa Leabharlann go dtí 10pm i rith na seachtaine agus go dtí 5.30pm ag deireadh na seachtaine.
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A spin-out company from NUI Galway, Analyze IQ Limited, is providing solutions for the more accurate analysis of complex mixtures such as illegal drugs, pharmaceuticals and contaminants.
With technology licensed from NUI Galway, Analyze IQ Limited offers an innovative software suite for the analysis of the composition of mixtures, based on molecular spectroscopy data. Molecular spectroscopic techniques can effectively 'fingerprint' materials. This is done by assessing the manner in which laser light is scattered by the molecular structure of the gas, liquid or solid being tested.
The company's products have applications in fields as diverse as manufacturing inspection, law enforcement, emergency services and the pharmaceutical industry.
Analyze IQ sells its software suite directly to end users and through partnerships with manufacturers of spectroscopy instruments. The company has recently signed a partnership deal with Florida-based Ocean Optics, which is now marketing and selling the Analyze IQ software suite. Ocean Optics is a diversified photonics technology firm and a global leader in optical sensing with locations in the US, Europe and Asia. Analyze IQ has further partnerships in the pipeline.
Analyze IQ Limited was established in 2008 as a spin-out company from NUI Galway. The company's technology is the result of a five-year research collaboration between analytical chemists with expertise in spectroscopic techniques and software engineers with expertise in data mining and machine learning. The research phase received substantial support from Enterprise Ireland.
The founders of the Analyze IQ include Dr Michael Madden, who led the development of the technology within NUI Galway, while a lecturer in the College of Engineering and Informatics.
According to Dr Madden, CEO of Analyze IQ: "The software suite has been designed to address the need for accurate analysis of spectroscopic data from mixtures of materials. For a wide range of real-world applications, it is essential to be able to work with mixtures to quickly and accurately assess the composition of their main components. Taking law enforcement as an example, it is extremely valuable in a drug seizure to be able to assess the composition of the drugs and cutting agents, as it provides is useful intelligence that indicates from where in the 'supply chain' the drugs have come".
Testing has shown that the novel analysing techniques licensed to Analyze IQ are more accurate than standard chemometric-based methods, particularly when analysing complex mixtures.
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NUI Galway Commemorates the 20th Anniversary of the Fall of the Berlin Wall

Friday, 6 November 2009

The 20th anniversary of the fall of the Berlin Wall will be commemorated at 6.30pm on Monday, 9 November, at NUI Galway. Lecturers from NUI Galway will speak about their personal experience of the event and discuss its historical and political significance for Germany and Europe during a panel discussion. The event takes place on campus in the Siobhán McKenna Theatre, Arts Millennium Building.
Panel participants will include NUI Galway's Dr Róisín Healy, History; Dr Henrike Rau, Political Science and Sociology (originally from East Germany); and Professor Hans-Walter Schmidt-Hannisa, German (originally from West Germany). The discussion will be chaired by lecturer in German, Rosaleen O'Neill, and will be followed by a reception.
During the day, students of German at NUI Galway will erect a polystyrene version of the Berlin Wall in the Foyer of the Arts Millennium Building. All are invited to write a comment on it, before its fall is re-enacted around 6.15pm.
According to Professor Hans-Walter Schmidt-Hannisa, Head of German at NUI Galway: "On 9 November, 1989, a peaceful revolution in the German Democratic Republic swept away the Berlin Wall. This scandalous monument, that had divided the city into two halves since 1961, symbolised the Cold War and the Iron Curtain. Its fall changed the face of Europe more than anything else since the end of the Second World War, resulting in the reunification of a divided Germany and the integration of Eastern European countries into the European Union".
NUI Galway will also host an exhibition produced by students of German which will feature rare original exhibits from the former GDR and include a wealth of original sources and a video installation. The exhibition will provide insights into life in the former German Democratic Republic and reflect upon the economic and ideological changes after the fall of the Wall. The bilingual exhibition Bruchzonen/Breaking Points will open at 5pm on Monday, 16 November 2009, in room 204 of the Arts Millennium Building at NUI Galway.
Also on Monday, 16 November, at 6.30pm in the Fottrell Theatre, Arts Millennium Building, the documentary film My DDR T-Shirt by Ian Hawkins will be screened. The director will be present and will answer questions from the audience.
The events are sponsored by the DAAD (German Academic Exchange Service) and the German Embassy, Dublin. All events are free and open to the public. For further information email h.schmidthannisa@nuigalway.ie or phone 091 492239.
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Leading 'Open Innovation' Guru to Visit NUI Galway

Thursday, 5 November 2009

"Open Innovation – a new model for Research & Development" will be the topic of discussion at a special lecture at 6pm on Thursday, 12 November, in Áras Moyola, NUI Galway.
NUI Galway s Centre for Innovation and Structural Change (CISC), as part of the InterTradeIreland All-island Innovation Programme, will host the forthcoming lecture by international expert Professor Henry Chesbrough, the Executive Director of the Centre for Innovation at the Haas School of Business, University of California, Berkley.
Professor Chesbrough has a unique background as both a practitioner and researcher, having spent 10 years in senior product planning and strategic marketing positions in Silicon Valley. Chesbrough's book, Open Innovation, which articulates a new paradigm for organising and managing R&D, was named a Best Business Book by Strategy & Business magazine.
Professor Chesbrough, says: "Useful knowledge is no longer concentrated in a few large organisations – business leaders must adopt a new, 'open' model of innovation".
The concept of open innovation advocates that companies can no longer keep their own innovations secret. The key to success is creating an open platform around innovations so customers, employees and even competitors can build upon them. Only then will there be created an ongoing, evolving community of users, doers and creators. The open innovation concept goes against the traditional view of companies protecting their intellectual property and undertaking all of the R&D and market development of new products or services themselves.
Professor Chesbrough, adds: "Today, in many industries, the logic that supports an internal and centralised approach to R&D has become obsolete. In the past, internal R&D was a valuable strategic asset, even a formidable barrier to entry by competitors in many markets. Today, the leading industrial enterprises of the past have been encountering remarkably strong competition from many upstarts".
Dr James Cunningham, Director, CISC, NUI Galway, explains: "The new logic of open innovation embraces external ideas and knowledge in conjunction with internal R&D. In short, firms that can harness outside ideas to advance their own businesses, while leveraging their internal ideas outside their current operations, are likely to thrive in this new era of open innovation. Companies like Proctor & Gamble are embracing this open innovation approach".
InterTradeIreland Strategy & Policy Director Aidan Gough said: "The theme of open innovation has a strong resonance with our own work in IInterTradeIreland. Through our programmes and initiatives InterTradeIreland is facilitating the development of an open innovation system between the two jurisdictions on this island to deliver not only a more efficient use of the two jurisdictions' knowledge resources, but also a more effective one as well".
Professor Chesbrough's key note lecture at NUI Galway is part of the InterTradeIreland All-island Innovation Programme. The Programme, a partnership between InterTradeIreland, NUI Galway, University College Dublin and Queens University Belfast, aims to promote and encourage innovation across the island of Ireland.
Those interested in attending should contact valerie.parker@nuigalway.ie and online at www.nuigalway.ie/cisc. Attendance is open to all and the event is free to attend.
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Cross-Border Research Alliance to Tackle Diabetes

Tuesday, 3 November 2009

NUI Galway and the University of Ulster have joined forces with HSE West and the Western Health and Social Care Trust to create a collaborative cross-border partnership on diabetes-related research.
The "Atlantic - Alliance for Cooperation on Research into Diabetes" (Atlantic - ACORD) initiative brings together clinicians and researchers from the health service, academia and industry, and patients to develop innovative solutions to problems related to the growing problem of diabetes.
Diabetes has been targeted because of its increasing prevalence and the associated health care costs. The prevalence of type 2 diabetes is 4-5%, and 1 in 10 pregnancies develop gestational diabetes.
Participants will also include allied health professionals, including dieticians, podiatrists, diabetes specialist nurses, IT specialists and psychologists.
Priority research areas for the partnership are health technologies, the use of geographical information systems in database analysis, diabetes in pregnancy, and beta cell engineering. These research themes represent some of the key needs for patients in the region and will form the initial focus of further collaborative research proposals.
Professor Fidelma Dunne, Head of the School of Medicine at NUI Galway, said: "Tackling diabetes has become an international healthcare priority in the western world. This new research alliance, Atlantic -ACORD, is all about joined-up thinking and pooling resources and expertise north and south of the border".
The ultimate aim of the initiative is to enhance the quality of life for patients with diabetes mellitus, and to focus on prevention, treatment and management of the disease.
The participant organisations are enthusiastic about the prospect of a formal cross-border initiative in diabetes research, helping tackle this disease, which is a both a growing problem in society and major healthcare service challenge.
Professor Finbarr O'Harte of the University of Ulster, said: "The Atlantic - ACORD initiative is an exciting opportunity for us all to pool our expertise in the field of diabetes research for the benefit of diabetes sufferers. This cross-border cooperation should help bring real improvements in prevention, treatment and management of diabetes in this catchment area".
Welcoming the initiative, Dr Maurice O'Kane, Head of Research and Development, Western Trust, and C-TRIC, said: "The establishment of Atlantic-ACORD is another significant step forward in putting in place strong systems for research into prevention and treatment of diabetes. This will help us engage even more widely with experts both in Northern Ireland and the Republic of Ireland, which will lead to real benefits in how we understand and treat diabetes".
It is planned to collaborate with other diabetes centres and work towards an all-island diabetes research network.
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Success at Undergraduate Awards of Ireland for NUI Galway Students

Monday, 2 November 2009

President Mary McAleese presented six inaugural Undergraduate Awards of Ireland to NUI Galway students on 20 October in the Royal Irish Academy where 41 of Ireland's most outstanding undergraduates received awards. Over 1,600 submissions were received and the winners were selected through an academic review process by 33 separate panels.
The Undergraduate Awards of Ireland were established to recognise and reward Ireland's most innovative young knowledge creators, to catalyse the development of the brightest undergraduates, and to inspire all undergraduates to achieve.
In congratulating these students on their success in the Undergraduate Awards of Ireland programme, NUI Galway President Dr James J. Browne commended them on receiving this distinction by a body which recognizes Ireland's brightest undergraduates. "Their success will undoubtedly add lustre to the students' academic development, as well as underscore NUI Galway s increasing profile as a centre of world-class research and teaching". He continued by wishing them continued success in their academic endeavours.
NUI Galway winners and essay titles:
Philomena Ní Fhlatharta - Irish "Cillíní Páistí: briseadh croí faoi rún"
Russell Ó Ríagáin - Archaeology "The rectilinear houses of the Irish early neolithic: the introduction of new identities, ideologies and economies"
Kayla Reed - Irish "Innéacs de bhailiúchán amhrán a rinne Cosslett Ó Cuinn i nGabhla, i dToraigh agus in Árainn Mhór"
Geraldine Galand - Nursing and Midwifery "Define nursing and discuss what you consider to be the key components of nursing care"
Caroline Maritin - Earth & Ocean Sciences "Early human settlement in the British Isles as a function of retreat and advance of Northern Hemisphere glaciations: Comparisons with other mammal fauns"
Linda O'Connor - Chemistry "Catalytic Methods for the Destruction of Chemical Warfare Agents under Ambient Conditions"
The awards are open to undergraduates across the island of Ireland's nine Universities. Submissions are drawn from the outstanding papers, essays and dissertations produced as a normal part of course work during each academic year.
In addition to receiving a gold medal for their submissions each students winning essay will be published in an annual journal.
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NUI Galway Engineering Students Volunteer in Africa

Monday, 2 November 2009

The College of Engineering and Informatics at NUI Galway has initiated a programme that gives students the opportunity to work in developing countries. Through the Service Learning programme, undergraduate civil engineering students can undertake community-based learning as part of their academic courses. Students will work on projects such as house building, research activities, engineering and science workshops, and literacy programmes.
As part of the programme NUI Galway is investigating innovative sustainable construction technology in Zambia, through collaboration with University of Zambia, Good Earth Trust, and the Alan Kerins African Projects.
The initial phase of this project entitled 'Cost-effective Sustainable Construction Technology for Zambia' was completed in June by four third-year civil engineering students. With the assistance of the University of Zambia, an extensive literature review and laboratory tests were carried out using interlocking compressed earth blocks, also known as stabilised soil blocks, that replicated those currently used in Western Zambia. If adopted, these blocks can make a significant contribution to poverty reduction, improving the local environment and reducing carbon emissions.
The project also saw NUI Galway students, together with two qualified engineers, travel to Western Zambia in August on a 'fact-finding mission'. This visit was used to gather further information on materials available locally that could be used in the manufacture of cost-effective sustainable construction techniques. Further tests to develop innovative composite materials will involve two research projects at NUI Galway which will run in parallel until April 2010. NUI Galway engineering students also ran workshops for orphan children in the remote village of Kaoma. The workshops were developed in collaboration with the Irish engineering professional body, Engineers Ireland, and were designed to encourage the children to explore the world of science and engineering.
Speaking on the new initiative Dr Jamie Goggins, Lecturer in the College of Engineering and Informatics at NUI Galway said: "Working in developing countries is a great way to improve your technical skills, broaden your horizons and gain invaluable working experience. Getting a job in communities less fortunate than your own can be a very fulfilling experience. It is extremely rewarding to know that your efforts are helping others to help themselves and working towards alleviating inequality and poverty".
NUI Galway Engineering students have also taken part in other volunteering projects in Africa. Over the summer, nine final-year engineering students volunteered for two months in Bahir Dar, in the north of Ethiopia, working on a house building project and helping with a literacy programme.
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Major Study Highlights Community Needs in East Galway City Areas

Monday, 2 November 2009

- Doughiska, Roscam and Ardaun -
A new report to be launched today (Monday, 2 November) looks at the future of a part of Galway City which, in recent years, has seen the highest population growth of any district outside of Dublin. The study was commissioned by a local community group, the Doughiska, Roscam and Ardaun Planning and Strategy Committee. This major report into the communities of Doughiska, Roscam and Ardaun was undertaken by NUI Galway's Adult and Continuing Education Office.
The 'Profile, Needs Analysis and Action Plan' study highlights a number of very distinct traits of the area and points to developments which are urgently required to pave the way for the future. According to the report, a combination of facilities and development supports is crucial, given the area's youth, its multi-cultural mix, its high degree of transience and a perceptible rise in unemployment.
In the past decade, the Doughiska, Roscam and Ardaun (DRA) area in the East of Galway City has witnessed phenomenal population growth. The population has grown from around 200 people in the year 2000, to its present day figure of 7,280.
The area is also notable for the exceptional youth of its population, more than a quarter of the area's population (26.6%) are children aged 15 or younger. In total, there are almost 2000 children living in the DRA area who are obliged to travel outside of the area in order to attend school, until new schools approved for the area open in 2012.
Among much needed developments identified in the study, the most important are considered to be: the opening of the two approved schools; the development of a multi-purpose Neighbourhood Centre; an expansion of youth services; and the delivery of community development supports.
More than two in five households (41.5%) are living in private rented accommodation in the DRA area, which is four times higher than the national average. The area is also markedly multi-cultural, with at least 33 different nationalities living in the area, with one in three (33.4%) of all residents being non-Irish nationals.
Commenting about the Report, Seamus O'Grady, Director of Adult and Continuing Education, NUI Galway, said: "The report highlights the importance of local community action and collaboration with development agencies. It documents significant priority developments that need to be addressed in the Doughiska, Roscam and Ardaun areas. As a city, Galway has seen massive change over the last decade and elements of society need to come together to shape a successful future for our young people. The University is delighted to have played a role in progressing local needs through this research report. NUI Galway will continue to work in cooperation with DRA, Galway City Council and other local development interests in furthering the development capacity of the East side of Galway City".
The report was funded by NUI Galway, Galway City Council, the Galway Diocese and McInerney's Properties.
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December 2009

NUI Galway Offers Observatory Open Nights

Wednesday, 23 December 2009

In 2010 NUI Galway's Centre of Astronomy will continue its programme of open evenings at its Imbusch Astronomical Observatory. The Observatory provides state-of-the-art observing facilities for NUI Galway's Astrophysics students and the Open evenings are an opportunity for the general public to come in and visit. At 7pm on 20 January and 17 February, weather permitting, an informative hour-long lecture will be followed by a hands-on viewing of the sky by night.
Numbers are limited to two per person and admission is strictly by ticket only, allocated on a first come first served basis. Bookings are by email and those interested should send requests to tara.shanahan@nuigalway.ie.
NUI Galway's Centre of Astronomy and School of Physics has also announced details of the next talk in their series of public lectures. Tickets are not limited for this free lecture, which will focus on Applied Physics. The lecture takes place at 7.30pm on Wednesday, 13 January, in the McMunn Theatre, Arts & Science Building, NUI Galway.
This lecture, presented by Dr Mark Foley, Lecturer with the NUI Galway School of Physics, will focus Medical and Laser Physics. Medical Physics is one of the fastest-growing areas of physics today, involving the application of physics and physical methods to problems in medicine. Medical physicists play an essential role in fields such as diagnostic imaging, radiotherapy, nuclear medicine and radiological safety. This lecture will focus on cutting-edge clinical technology and also on the fundamental principles behind the technologies used to diagnose and treat cancer patients.
The second part of the lecture will be given by Dr Gerard O'Connor, also from the School of Physics, and will focus on Laser Physics. The lecture will introduce the concept of laser light, describe the applications of laser technology and look at the future of laser light. Commenting on the importance of Laser Physics, Dr O'Connor said: "Lasers are just 50 years old but their discovery has already transformed the way we live, work and play. From the application of laser technology in enabling the internet, creating new methods for manufacturing, developing new healthcare, new measurements and new entertainments, the photonics revolution based on laser technology is only beginning".
After the lecture a tour will be given of the research facilities in the NUI Galway School of Physics. Although the lectures will be aimed at second level students, they will be of interest and open to the general public.
More details of all the talks can be found on http://astro.nuigalway.ie/outreach.php.
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